Weekends are for Waffles
by Fallon Skywalker
Summary: Just your average morning and family breakfast on the Ghost.


Hera smiled as Kanan placed a mug full of warm Spiran caf on the table next to her. She scrolled through her datapad, sipping the warm drink as she leaned against him. It was early. Very early. But Kanan and Hera were both very used to being awake from the crack of dawn until late at night. They'd adapted to having little sleep, since they were typically trying to outrun the Empire, and the Empire didn't really care what time of day it was.

Hera didn't mind the early mornings anymore. She remembered being a young teen and dreading having to wake up early, but now that she was older she enjoyed it. She enjoyed the peace the mornings brought, just her and Kanan, quietly savoring in the few hours of quiet before everyone else woke up. Even Chopper was still recharging, powered down in the cockpit for the evening.

Hera loved these moments. She'd recognized even more lately what a family they were. Kanan, Ezra, Sabine, Zeb, and Chopper. They weren't just a crew or a team, they were a family and they were bonded for life. Moments like these, where Kanan quietly sipped his caf next to her, relaxing together in comfortable, blissful silence, meant the galaxy to Hera. Where their day jobs included fighting a war, risking their lives and fighting an entire military and political entity on the regular, quiet moments in the galley of the Ghost were the moments Hera looked forward to each day. They were the moments that she saw the most vividly when her life flashed before her eyes in times of danger. They were the moments that had her heart.

Hera took a sip of the caf, slightly spicy, slightly sweet, and very strong, and smiled. Kanan didn't need eyes to make the best caf she'd ever had. No diner, no galaxy renowned restaurant, and no caf shop could ever match Kanan's Spiran caf blend. Hera didn't know how he did it, but he always made the caf for her every morning, ever since a trip to Rion they took together what seemed like decades ago. She never had to say a thing, but Kanan always made sure she had caf every morning. Even when they were ridiculously short on credits and rations, he always got her favorite caf blend. Even after he'd been injured on Malachor and lost his sight, on days where he didn't want to even get out of bed, Hera still found a mug of caf waiting for her on the table when she woke up.

Their quiet continued for a while, Hera quietly reading Kanan headlines from the holonet as she scrolled through her datapad. Kanan had one hand gently on Hera's leg as they sat together, and Hera smiled. Since losing his sight, Kanan had been connected to Hera in a new way. He'd become much more reliant on his touch to keep him grounded and aware of his surroundings, and whenever they were together, Kanan liked to be close enough to feel Hera, or at least close enough to hear her. If they were in a briefing or even on a mission, he liked to stand behind her so he could hear her and if he needed to, he could reach out and find her right there. When they were at home, on the Ghost, it was much easier. He'd rest his hand on her arm, on her knee, on her shoulder, letting her guide him or keep him grounded. Even feeling her boot with his made him feel more comfortable. Hera had never commented on Kanan's new habits but simply adapted her own to help him in any way she could. It was easier than she thought it would be, because they were both on the same wavelength and didn't even need to communicate their changes in order to make them work seamlessly. Kanan didn't need to voice his appreciation either, Hera knew how grateful he was.

"Kids are up," Kanan chuckled as he heard a thud echo down the hall followed by loud arguing from a moody teenager and a certain Lasat whose behavior was almost as bad as the teenager's.

"There goes the peace and quiet," Hera said with a smirk, not really meaning her remark. Even with their antics, she loved her "kids". She truly did feel like she was raising toddlers sometimes, but she knew that when they had to buckle down and be serious, they could, and they had each other's backs.

Sabine was the first one to enter the galley, already dressed in her regular gear and ready to fight the good fight. She sat down next to Hera on the booth of their table and kicked one boot onto the chair adjacent to her.

"Morning," Sabine said, pulling her blasters from their holsters to finish polishing them. "What's for breakfast?"

Kanan laughed. "Whatever Ezra makes, if he's done fighting with Zeb for the refresher." he said with a shrug. Prior to going blind, Kanan always did all the cooking on the Ghost. Hera was a terrible cook and admitted to being so, claiming she never had time to learn how to do it and didn't see why she should make time when there were plenty of perfectly good rations to eat. After Kanan had joined her crew, he'd spoiled her with good food, and though she never complained if she had to eat rations, she also couldn't help but realize how much better Kanan's home-cooking was in comparison. He was now in the process of teaching Ezra to cook instead, since Sabine shared Hera's philosophy on cooking, and Zeb nearly set the kitchen on fire too many times trying to make meals, and therefore had to promise not to attempt to cook again.

"Ezra!" Sabine shouted down the hall, "I'm starving! Hurry up!"

Ezra was still in his pajamas as he started down the hall, annoyed that Zeb got to the refresher before him, but only because he shoved him back into his bunk before heading out the door of their shared room.

"Zeb is going to use all the hot water again!" Ezra complained, "Hera!"

Hera shrugged. "I don't know what you want me to do about it," she said with a smirk. Kanan smirked too.

"You should wake up earlier." Kanan commented.

Ezra grumbled to himself as he started pulling the cooking supplies out of the cabinets of the Ghost's kitchen. He started to work on making breakfast as Kanan had taught him as Hera briefed him and Sabine on their plans for the day and Zeb entered the kitchen followed by a fully recharged Chopper.

Hera tried to be stern as chaos and teasing ensued, Chopper stealing things from behind Ezra as he worked, Ezra getting thoroughly frustrated, and Zeb and Sabine only egging him on.

"It smells like you're making that wrong," Kanan teased, though he wasn't exactly lying. "Are you following what I told you?"

"Yeah, I am." Ezra insisted, "I don't know why you don't just write it all down."

"I don't know why you don't just remember the recipe." Kanan said simply.

Hera elbowed him, and he snorted a little laugh at her.

"It's not hard," Kanan continued, "Did you remember all the ingredients?"

"Yes," Ezra said impatiently, "Waffles aren't as easy to make as you think they are, Kanan."

Sabine huffed a sigh. "If you burn mine, I will seriously shoot you," she snapped, obviously in a poor mood from lack of food. She took Kanan's mug of caf from in front of him and took a long sip of it, and he frowned in her direction when he went to pick up the cup and didn't find it, searching for a second with his hand before Sabine gently put the mug back in his palm.

"Not yours." Kanan said flatly. Sabine smirked.

"You're doing fine Ezra," Hera encouraged, "It smells good."

"It smells burned," Zeb muttered.

"Then you don't need to eat it." Ezra sneered at his bunkmate. "Only non-complainers get breakfast. Which means just Hera. Everyone else can figure it out for themselves." he huffed.

"Ezra, I'll kill you." Sabine snapped, and Ezra momentarily considered that she wasn't really joking. She probably could kill him, with her pinky. And no weapons.

"Fine. Hera _and_ Sabine, but only so Sabine will stop being mean."

Sabine rolled her eyes and Kanan laughed.

"Now I'll never write my recipes down," he said, shaking his head with mock disappointment. "Betrayed by my own protege."

Ezra felt a pang in his heart at Kanan's words, no matter how lighthearted they were. Betraying Kanan was the last thing Ezra wanted to do. He got quiet after that comment and Kanan realized he might've hurt his feelings.

"Ezra, I didn't mean-" Kanan was cut off as Ezra placed a plate in front of his mentor, putting a second plate in front of Hera.

"It's fine," Ezra said simply, placing utensils and glasses of Muja juice on the table next to the plates. He did the same for Sabine, ignoring Zeb out of spite, letting the Lasat get his own food and drink.

"It's really good, Ezra," Hera said, shoving Kanan lightly with her shoulder.

"It is," Kanan agreed. "Looks like you remembered it after all." he said with a smile. "Now if only I can get you to meditate as well as you cook."

Ezra smiled a little as he started eating his own breakfast. Hera smiled to see the difficult divide between Kanan and Ezra closing slowly but surely. They had a lot of healing to do, but it was starting to get much easier.

When their meals were finished and the loveable chaos once again resumed, Hera couldn't even be annoyed. She had a pretty wonderful family. Despite none of them being related by blood, they'd all grown to have an unbreakable bond. They had all found each other.

"Okay gang," Hera said as Sabine and Ezra started to clear the plates to put them in the dish steamer. "Let's go get 'em today. We've got a lot of work to do."

"Sure." Ezra said optimistically, "But do you think I can shower and get dressed first? I'd hate to go to a briefing in my pajamas."

Kanan laughed out loud, and it made Hera smile. She loved his laugh.

"Please do," Kanan teased. "We don't need you embarrassing us in front of the entire Rebellion. We'll finish cleaning up. Go get ready."

Ezra smirked but started down the hall to the refresher, shouting at Zeb for getting his hair all over the floor of the shower. Sabine finished clearing her place and started down to the cargo hold where she resumed her side project of repainting her speeder. Kanan could smell the spray paint all the way from the galley, but the smell of Sabine's paint was more of a comforting and welcoming scent than a repulsing one.

Chopper followed Kanan closely as they stepped around the kitchen, Hera finishing putting away the steamed dishes and Kanan putting his cooking supplies back where they belonged, in the places he and Ezra had organized for him.

"Ready for another long day, love?" Hera asked, and Kanan smiled, gently wrapping an arm around her waist.

"With you guys? There's nothing we can't do." he pressed a gentle kiss to the side of her cheek and she felt a bubble of warmth in her heart. He was right. When they were together, there wasn't anything in the galaxy that they couldn't do.


End file.
